Brothers
by Ryu the Strange Red
Summary: Following the early life of the Mochizuki brothers, they uncover secrets that'll lead to a tragic future. Rated M for strong language and violence.


A/N: Reboot of the original story _Brothers_. Made especially for **Cosmo** . **camellia!** Sorry for the long wait!

So please, enjoy!

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**Brothers**

by _Ryu the Strange Red_

• • •

Ryu dropped to one knee and turned sideways, aiming his sidearm at his brother and firing two shots from his Colt .45. With ease, Nero deflected the bullets with his sword at inhuman speed. Taking a quick step back, Nero fired an ice sword forward. Then, two more blades of ice flung after the first blade. All aiming to pierce the flesh of Ryu.

Cursing, Ryu got his feet under him and tried his best to counter the ice swords with his black blade. Unfortunately, one was lucky enough to pierce through his right arm and the young man soon dropped to his knee. Clutching his arm and feeling his blood slip right through his fingers, Ryu attempted to stand only for Nero to freeze his brother in place.

"The Beast must be destroyed brother!" snickered Nero, preparing to execute a quick, horizontal, inward, slash on his ill-fated little brother.

Ryu closed his eyes and braced himself… But his brother was too predictable.

He broke free from his ice prison, and at an extremely fast pace, kicked upward, landing a direct hit on Nero's cheek before swiping his leg back and connecting his fist with his face. Ryu bounced backward, without taking his eyes off Nero, who sprawled backward from the hits, and heaved his Legacy Weapon over his shoulder. Wiping the sweat from his battered face, Ryu wondered why Nero was doing this?

Nero struggled to keep his balance, using **Yukianesa** as support. He wiped the blood from his swollen lip with his sleeve and got back into a combative position. "Arrows," he began, his sword forming into an icy bow, "...Of Ice!" He then fired several arrows made of deathly sharp ice directly at Ryu.

No way in hell would he be able to block such an attack. Ryu just closed his eyes, held the blade in front of him, and expected the worst.

Lightning struck the arrows of ice, and all around the twin brothers. Afterwards, the rain started to kick in, drenching the combative brothers, forming puddles around the white-rose field... now stained with the color of blood.

Ryu opened his eyes and coughed, the bitter taste of blood on his lips. Nero groaned, fell to the floor, and tried to stand; only get as far as kneeling on one knee... using Yukianesa to keep himself up. He bent over in pain from the wounds that his own little brother had inflicted on him, the adrenaline finally dispersing.

Ryu was glaring at him, a pained expression took over his face, the rain made it look as if the young man was crying. Wiping his face, Ryu managed to get his feet under him, raised the **Legacy Weapon: Eryx** and got into a combative stance. And so did Nero. He heaved himself up and positioned himself for another attack, his hand resting on the hilt of his katana; the cold blade Yukianesa.

The twins continued the stare-off. Waiting for the right moment to strike.

A young lady with blonde hair tied into pigtails, dressed in gothic Lolita fashion, and a cat umbrella over her head; watched the young men fight in her least favorable garden.

A small sigh escaped her lips. "What could have led to this?"

• • •

Nero was the first out of bed, then Ryu jerked up in his bed, their pale features streaked with wet tears and sweat. They looked over at the alarm clock; 10:14 AM. Ryu wiped the wetness from his face with the back of hand as Nero done the same right after. That was… certainly a realistic dream...

No. That was clearly another nightmare.

"You okay brother?" Nero questioned, his voice hoarse.

Ryu nodded, "I-I think I am," he replied.

Both brothers groaned and calm themselves down. Afterwards, Ryu laid back down onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling for a good ten minutes as for Nero; he slowly climbed out of bed, his muscles aching, and made his way over to the bathroom without saying another word.

Nero wiped the mirror clear of the steam that consumed it, staring at his own reflection. He sighed, running a hand through his damp, brown hair before stepping out with a towel draped over his neck.

Ryu strolled past his twin and into the bathroom. He stared at his reflection for a good minute, before splashing water upon his pale features and brushing his teeth. Soon after, he made it downstairs, now dressed in a dark grey shirt with black pants, and brown combat boots.

The young man was greeted by a sweet aroma of breakfast as he made his way downstairs and soon entered the kitchen of the Mochizuki Family.

The kitchen, decorated in clean, bright white and sky blue, greeted Ryuzakii with a very warm, and happy air. This very room, was the heart and soul of the Mochizuki Family. Nearly everything the family discussed, unimportant or important, new or old, was always in this very room and Ryu wouldn't have it any other way. The same went for the rest of the family of five.

"Morning Ryu," greeted Beatrice, his mother, with her usual warm smile. "Sleep well?"

"Kind of." He responded. He couldn't stop thinking about that nightmare. Ryu didn't even know why he was fighting his brother in the first place or why they looked so different than they look now. He swallowed hard and shook his head, staring down at his empty plate.

Nero leaned forward, his eyes fixated on his _other self_. "It's still bothering you, huh?" He whispered.

Ryu nodded and leaned forward, speaking in a whisper, "Yeah... did you tell Mom yet?"

"No." Nero replied.

"Good. I don't want to ruin her day."

Whenever the twins would have nightmares and informed their mother of it, she would break down into tears. They didn't know why but when asked about it, she replied with; "It breaks my heart to hear such a thing. It seemed as if you're cursed with an endless despair of nightmares. Ever since you were children.." So the Mochizuki brothers no longer discuss anything about their dreams or their sleepless nights.

Beatrice was always happy either way. She always wore a sunny expression and a smile on her face. A very warm, outgoing, motivational woman she was. Hell, she was probably the heart and soul of the Mochizuki Family and the twins couldn't see a day without her light.

"Mom!" cried out a voice.

Immediately after, a young girl, around the age of fifteen and standing around 4'9", stepped into the kitchen -looking annoyed as ever. Ryu and Nero glanced at their little sister, Sakura, with a smile settling on their lips. "Are we really traveling again!?" she asked.

Ryu looked at his mother. "Are you serious? Again?"

"That's the third one this month," Nero sighed, taking a sip from his glass of orange juice.

Beatrice shrugged, flipping eggs on the sizzling hot pan before settling them on a plate. "I was actually against the idea," she told her children. "But your father talked me into it and... I figured we could use a little more time away from home."

"But we just got back!" Sakura pouted, clenching her fists. "Like a week ago!"

"C'mon sweetheart, go pack up for a three day trip, and enjoy your breakfast." spoken Daniel Mochizuki; the family head and father of the Mochizuki siblings. "I advise you boys to do the same."

Ryu and Nero silently nodded as they enjoyed their eggs and bacon, not really in a rush to travel to another Hierarchical City. After they finished their meal, the brothers retreated into their room and started to go through their drawers; looking for descent clothing to wear at the Quindecim family meeting. Ryu found a pair of black boxers and threw it over at Nero, landing on the back of his head.

"Keep your underwear outta my stuff," laughed Ryu.

Nero snickered and threw the pair back at his younger brother. "It doesn't make a difference brother, we're the exact same size in everything!"

"So? I don't know where your dick has been!" Ryu playfully shot back, looking down at the tattered long-sleeved shirt in front of him.

Nero laughed, gathered his clothing into a suitcase, and ruffled Ryu's hair. "Shut up jackass. Hurry up and suffer with me."

All Ryu could do was nod.

• • •

The Duodecim, also known as the Twelve Originators, are noble families descended from the first twelve normal humans who mastered Ars Magus and played a major role in the Dark War. Following the conflict they became known as the "Duodecim", similar to the Six Heroes, and were deeply involved in the founding of the Novus Orbis Librarium. However, in the summer of 2206, scholars discovered the three more humans that mastered Ars Magus in the Dark War. These three became to be known as Yuri Ryashkina of Russia, Felicia Cross of Britain, and Nokuto Mochizuki of the now nonexistent Japan.

Soon after, these three middle-classed families became affiliated within the Duodecim and eventually changed the name to the Quindecim; the Fifteen Originators. The well-organized families began to

• • •

The shuttle ride to the fourth hierarchical city of Naibo didn't take too long. The city was closer to the twelfth hierarchical than any other city out there and travel was a lot more easier too just because it was the Royal Transport Shuttle. As soon as the Mochizuki Family landed in Naibo, they were greeted by the Novus Orbis Librarium's Palace Guards, most likely the Yayoi and Kisaragi's most trusted bodyguards, and were immediately guided towards the top of the hierarchical city.

The Yayoi Family Housing changed drastically over the last twenty-one years since Tsubaki wedded Jin Kisaragi; both moving their families into one huge housing in Naibo. Ryuzakii tried to remember how their family system worked? Was Jin in charge of both the Kisaragi and Yayoi Family? Or was it separated to give the poor bastard some breathing space? Of course, Jin wasn't the exact family head as he was heir to the throne as was Tsubaki herself.

The ride to the first level of Naibo took half an hour. As Ryu and Nero stared out of the window, they couldn't help but wonder why the shuttle couldn't dock on the first level of the city? Soon enough, afternoon came and Ryu was the first one out of their guest house provided by the Yayoi-Kisaragi Family -with Nero following behind of course.

Planting his skateboard against the concrete walkway, the dark-haired young man started rolling away from his twin. Without a safety helmet or guards.

"Ryu be careful!" Nero shouted, watching his brother skate backwards and almost colliding with a nearby bench. When his younger brother would ride that board, he was always careless in which direction he was going in.

Ryu stared at Nero, raising an eyebrow to what he just said. Then he remembered his headphones were in and removed them. "Come again?" He asked, half-heartedly laughing. "Hey! I could teach you how to skate one day?"

Nero sighed, shaking his head as he caught up with his little brother. Then a large shadow overcast the brunette and when he turned back...

"What's up little Near!?"

Draping his arm over Nero's neck, a young man with a large build laughed and pulled the brunette into a tight squeeze. Nero tried to remember who the individual before him was, slapping the massive arm as he did. Then Nero remembered just by gazing at the tattoo that decorated the man's forearm.

Cole Cross. First Cousin of the Quindecim's Cross Family. A childhood friend.

"I missed you!" Cole exclaimed as he nearly suffocated Nero with his biceps. "Where's pea brain at?"

Nero was still slapping Cole's arm, attempting to break free from the man's grasp. Cole let go and Nero gasped for air but he knew that Cole didn't stop because of Nero. It was because he had his sights set on Ryuuzakii.

As for Ryu, he didn't get a chance to react when he was tackled off of his skateboard and to the ground by a familiar person.

"Hey Ryu!" exclaimed Calix, one of his friends.

Callixtus "Calix" Vermillion wasn't the type of person you'll expect to be apart of the Quindecim's families. Thing is, he wasn't, and before being adopted into the prestigious Vermillion Family two years ago, he was of poor social status and was an orphan. But Calix was always invited to family meetings at the Yayoi Housings since Lady Tsubaki's unique friendship with the late Noel Vermillion. Ryu shoved the the auburn haired young man off of him.

Ryu groaned, "Warning next time!"

Calix grinned. He loved to annoy Ryu, just like all of his other friends. An undying habit he gained from junior high. Cole and Nero walked down the concrete path just after Ryu had pushed Calix off. Without warning, Cole lifted Ryu off the ground and squeezed his lean frame against his large body.

Unlike Nero, Ryu wrapped his arms around the redhead's body and let out a muffled laugh.

"It's good to see you Cole!" muffled Ryu. "How've you been?"

Cole released Ryu and ruffled the young man's hair. "I've been better! The Cross Family recently got a major upgrade and-"

Cole stopped, grabbed Ryu by his shoulders, and turned him around to face an approaching figure.

The boys were astonished by this young lady. She wasn't bad looking, but abnormal compared to most girls they've met. She had strawberry blonde that was about shoulder length; tied into a bun at the moment. Her red kimono was littered with flower and butterfly decorations on the sleeves and skirt. Brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear, Yin lifted her head and glanced at the four young men with intoxicating green, pupil less, eyes.

"Oh! Boys... it's been a while," Yin smiled. Her eyes met with each of the boys before finally stopping on Calix.

They, as in the four young men, stood in silence for a few moments while they stared at each other. Cole decided to break the silence and their gaze.

"Princess Yin," spoken the redhead. "I'm glad to see that you're back in full health! I'm even surprised that you made a quick recovery too!"

Quick recovery? Oh wait. Now when Nero and Ryu thought about it, Yin was put into the hospital a month ago because of a minor head injury.

"I most certainly have Sir Cole," Yin said in a rather mocking manner. She bowed playfully as did Cole and soon, Calix did too. She lifted her head again and gazed at the Mochizuki twins.

"A-Ah! Near... Ryu..." she stammered, her cheeks tinting lightly in pink. "I-I didn't see you guys there..."

Nero scoffed, "You're joking right?"

"It's just that... it's been awhile," Yin said with a small smile. The other two men were quiet as the girl slowly approached the twins. She silently observed the twins and got closer.

Their faces were only inches apart. Yin could feel the twins' breath on her face. She wanted to move closer, to get a better look at her beloved friends' features only because she was curious, she liked the two, and was partially blind.

Ryu abruptly broke their gaze before hastily turning away and rubbing his cheek out of embarrassment. Nero cleared his throat and back a few feet away from the strawberry blonde. Yin had blushed, realizing how close she were to the twins. She rubbed her face with the sleeve of her kimono and turned away.

"I-I uh... S-Sorry about that guys," she said sheepishly. "A-Anyway... would you two like to come by tomorrow...? I mean, Cole and Calix, you're invited too."

Ryu smiled shyly, "Y-Yeah. Nero and I wouldn't mind."

Cole grinned and threw Calix into a headlock, "Yeah! We'll be there!"

Yin smiled at her friends and nodded, "Can't wait. Until then, I'll see you four later," she said as she walked past her four friends. After she left, Calix looked over to Cole and said, "Does everyone here think Yin has a crush on RuRu and Near?"

Cole nodded before laughing, thinking of every way he could tease the lovebirds. Ryu turned his head in embarrassment, feeling his face getting hotter and hotter as the laughter continued. Nero began to laugh and stared at Ryu. His little brother had done the same. Despite the feelings he secretly held for Yin, Nero knew she would be more comfortable with his little brother since he was more laid back than himself... hopefully she thought the same way.

"She likes me more," challenged Ryu. "I'm better looking."

Cole and Calix started at one another, knowing where this was going to. "I'm stronger," shot back Nero.

Ryu snickered and grinned, "I'm smarter."

A silence overlooked the four men, wind then began to silently howl around them, Calix kept glancing over at Ryu, Nero, and Cole. Then an evil snicker escaped Nero's mouth and he brushed his bangs out of his eyes. "I got a bigger dick."

On this day, in history, Nero was finally victorious over his little brother in the usual brotherly pissing contest, as declared by the auburn-haired young man himself. Now, the rest of the day was filled with nothing but laughter and pure enjoyment -like a guys night out. And when the four young men met Kagura Mutsuki... well, let's keep that secret shall we?

• • •

Ryu stared at the night sky decorated with beautiful, shinning stars from his bedroom balcony of the guest home. The guest homes that belonged to the Kisaragi and Yayoi Family were fancy... and very oriental compared to most guest homes. There was something about the fourth hierarchical city he'd enjoyed out of all the rest. Sure, he missed his bed back home, but this place was seemingly peaceful and Lady Tsubaki was a very well-organized person.

A woman walked into the room and said, "Ryu, Master Jin is here to speak with you."

Master Jin? What could a man of his status want with a guy like him? Oh wait...

Ryu gave the woman a nod before glancing back out at the night sky. Soon enough, Jin Kisaragi stepped into the room, surprised that the dark-haired young man didn't greet him like he always did. Jin approached Ryu, and leaned against the railing of the balcony.

"Beautiful night, isn't it?" Jin had spoken, gazing up at the stars but glaring at the bright, yellow moon above.

"Yeah... it usually is right?" Ryu sighed, turning his head over to the blonde man.

Ryu could see how much Jin had changed in the last few months. His hair seemed to be turning a pale blonde color, and he seemed to be neglected shaving as he wa starting to possess stubble.

Jin sighed and looked at the young man before him. The son of Daniel Mochizuki. "You ever heard a story... a _myth_ from Kagutsuchi?"

"I have not sir," said Ryu, wondering why Jin was bringing this up.

Jin hated how Ryu addressed him as 'sir'. Sure he was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Novus Orbis Librarium and was heir to the Kisaragi Family throne but Jin had always hated how people around him adressed him. He was just another person in this world.

"It's about an unsung hero.. Bloodedge," Jin said in a low voice. "He was my brother..."

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A/N: I'm not sure if I did a good job with this but with little time on hand and very limited access to a computer... I did my best. R&R is welcomed! Just leave out all the negativity and such, thank you! Hope you enjoyed it!

Next Chapter: **The Outsider**.


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